FOUR new detector dogs are protecting Australia from biosecurity threats.
Quatro, Quizzy, Quigley and Quita are part of a commitment by the
Federal Government to increase detector dog numbers at the border over four years.
Biosecurity detector dogs are trained to find nine target odour groups which translate into more than 200 different biosecurity risk items.
The three most common items found are meat, seeds and fruit.
“Detector dogs and their handlers are on the front line of our biosecurity system which protects Australia from pests and diseases that pose a risk to our agricultural industry,” Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said.
“Our newest graduates are deployed to border screening locations in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney and they are already intercepting biosecurity risk goods.
“Increasing the number of biosecurity detector dogs and their handlers is one way we are protecting our agricultural industry.”
Mr Watt said an additional 20 biosecurity detector dogs and handlers would be in place by July 2024.
"I am very proud of our newest graduate detector dogs and excited to see them further contribute to the excellent work our biosecurity detector dog teams deliver across Australia.”